Every now and again, in what might be referred to as a “lifestyle” magazine, I run across the following article: “A Scent For Every Occasion”. The title varies, but the content does not. The reader is given a run-down of important occasions, and which perfume they might wear as they mark it. And so, we are told, a scent for a job interview must project confidence, but not be overpowering. Wedding guests must be ever mindful of not upstaging the bride, and should thus stick to soft, romantic florals. A Christmas party calls for something warm and spicy.

Cardamom is cool right now. Far more frequently applied to masculine than feminine compositions, cardamom’s use in recent perfumery has been scant even though its history is lengthy, dating back to inclusion in the legendary Kyphi (an ancient Egyptian incense type). But that is precisely why cardamom is cool right now; its story and…

It’s pretty much an age-old debate: animals being used in toxicity tests for perfumes and their ingredients. We’ve all seen the videos of rabbits and guinea pigs suffering, watched how angry activists raised their voices on the telly, know about the politicians who were trying to make a statement. It all resulted in a European…

After a couple of years of absence from fairs and perfumes shows, I decided it was about time for me to go to Pitti Fragranze and see first-hand what's about to come in the niche-perfumery market. It was fun and exciting because I got to meet again with old and new friends I've been making during all these years but from a mere pe…